OTTAWA -- Pressure is mounting on the Canadian government to commit to a diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympic Games after the U.S. announced its intention to do so Monday.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that government officials won鈥檛 be in attendance for the games, to protest human rights abuses in China, but athletes are permitted to compete.
鈥淎thletes will be participating, we will be rooting for the athletes from home鈥his is just an indication that it cannot be business as usual, that not sending a diplomatic delegation sends that message,鈥� she said.
Psaki said the U.S. has informed its allies of its decision but will 鈥渓eave it to them鈥� to make their own call about whether to attend in full or in part.
Sports Minister Pascale St-Onge said later in the day that the government was consulting with other countries but that a Canadian decision hadn鈥檛 been reached.
In a subsequent statement to CTVNews.ca, Christelle Chartrand, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, echoed a similar sentiment.
鈥淐anada remains deeply disturbed by the troubling reports of human rights violations in China. We were notified of the U.S. decision and we will continue to discuss this matter with our partners and allies,鈥� the statement reads.
Opposition MPs have been ramping up calls for some version of a boycott.
Earlier in the day on Monday, Conservative Leader Erin O鈥橳oole said he鈥檚 been consulting with domestic and international Olympic committee officials about striking a balance between displaying Canada鈥檚 鈥減rofound displeasure鈥� with China鈥檚 conduct while also respecting the right of athletes to compete.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been proposing moving the games, there wasn鈥檛 any interest by the Trudeau government in that. We proposed a diplomatic boycott 鈥� I think that鈥檚 the best thing we can do alongside our allies to show pressure but not to make the athletes pay the price for the conduct in Beijing,鈥� he said.
In February, MPs voted to label China鈥檚 treatment of the Uyghur Muslims a genocide.
The Chinese government has been accused of mass surveillance and incarceration of thousands of Uyghur, forcing them into labour camps for the purposes of indoctrinating the mostly-Muslim minority into mainstream Chinese society.
It鈥檚 spurred international calls for governments to withhold some, if not all, participation from the 2022 winter games.
NDP MP and foreign affairs critic Heather McPherson also spoke to the issue on Monday, noting that there are Canadian parliamentarians banned from China, after the superpower targeted the parliamentary subcommittee on international human rights, which in the last Parliament was examining the treatment of the Uyghur population.
鈥淚f we did send a diplomatic mission, China is in fact choosing who gets to go on that mission鈥hat in and of itself, to me, is problematic. But also I think there is huge problems having the Olympics in Beijing knowing that there鈥檚 genocide happening in that country,鈥� she said.
Last week, St-Onge said she respects the decision of Canadian athletes to attend.
鈥淚 totally respect their independence and the decision they鈥檙e making,鈥� she said.
David Shoemaker, the Canadian Olympic Committee CEO & Secretary General, says the body will support whatever the government decides but is advocating for athletes to compete.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very important to me that Canadian athletes are at these Winter Games, notwithstanding the myriad of challenges and questions and concerns that we have about what鈥檚 going on in the host country,鈥� he told 麻豆影视 Channel鈥檚 Power Play on Monday.
Shoemaker says he鈥檚 routinely in contact with international Olympic committees, but not all are hyper concerned with China鈥檚 conduct.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 surprising to me is how little these issues in China are registering on the radars in many of these other countries. They鈥檙e of great concern to Canadians. We know we had the hostage diplomacy situation with Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig and perhaps that accentuated things,鈥� he said.
Asked whether he鈥檚 worried about the safety of Canadian athletes while in China, Shoemaker said it鈥檚 always a top concern regardless of where the games are taking place.
With a file from The Canadian Press.
